Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-27
FRESH In THE JAMES
WATER OVER THE LOWER wHARVEs
AT ROCKETS.
Rsmoyai Of Property from That Heighoor
hood-No Great Damage
Feared,

On Wednesday last an uhusu"
amount of min fell here and more In the
mountains. The effect of this was that
the river, which was already somewhat
swollen from previous rains, has been
rising gradually ever since. 1t had as
sumed that height yesterday that tne
steamboat companies considered it best
10 remove the goods from their wharves,
and acted accordingly.
The water continued to rise at an ai-
most imperceptibly slow rate all day.
and at 6 p. M. it was in Water street,
running alongside the wharves OF the
Virginia Steamboat Company at ROCK
cts. and was up within about ten lnches
of those Of the Old Dominion Steam
ship Company.
AZ Columbia, where the Rivannaa,
which runs down through Albemarle
and Fluvanna counties, empties its wa
ters into the James, at the same time
the stream was fourteen feet above COM
mon tide and falling. The James was
also receding at all points west OF Kich-
mond. and had been at Lynchburg
since early morning, when 1t was only
six feet.
The water, at its highest yesterday,
registered about six feet on the marked
pier of the Petersburg railroad bridge.
As the water rushed over the rapids 1t
presented quite pictur 1sque sight.
LAST NIGHTS IETELLIGENcE.
A representative of the Dispatch
called at the telegraph-office OF the
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
Con pany about II o'clock last night,
and inquired about the condition OF
the river at that hour. The operator
in charge said that he had just received
intelligence from all along the line,
and the following state of affairs ex-
listed
No rain had fallen anywhere up the
river between 2 and 4 z. NJ. After the
last.named hour rain fell between
Lynchburg and Richmond about as 1t
did herein shOwers-exccpt that the
storm and heavy rain after night only
extended a few miles up the road. No
rain fell at Lynchburg after 6 o'clock,
but it was raining west of there, and at
Lexington quite hard at 10 Z. Nj.
AT this hour the water was falling
slowly at Lynchburg and Columbia and
standing at Lexington and ScottsSille,
and at each of the places named 1t had
fallen about foot since morning. The
operator was of opinion that if the rain
ceased to fall by this morning there will
be no trouble either here or along
the road, as the present surplus water
will have passed off before the
rise from the present rainfall is per
ceptible here. Should the rain con-
tihue. however, of course there is no
telling what the result may be; but
certain it is that there can be no dam
age to property before this afternoon or
tomorrow morning.
MOVING OUT.
The water continued to rise slowly
at Rockets up to 9 o'clock last night,
after which time it was at a stand. 1t
was then about six feet above ordinary
winter tide, was over the lower wharyes,
about up to the Old Dominion
wharves, but not quite in Main street
where Gillie's creek passes under it.
Everything having been moved ont,
the telephone was taken out of the Old
Dominion Office, but the one in the
Virginia Steamboat Company's freight
house was allowed to remain, and some
one or more of the gentlemen con-
nected with that company remained
the1e all night. At midnight one OF
...am informed the Dispatch that they
apprehended no trouble unless FROM
the continued rainfall.
The Wyoming, of the Philadelphia
line Of steamers, arrived yesterday AZ
ternoon, unloaded, and sailed last
night. The Breakwater, of the Old
Dominion Line, arrived, but did not
unload.
Many of the residents of the lower
part of the city near Gillie's creek, in
which the back water is quite high,
moved their furniture from their lower
floors, and numerous merchants cleared
their Easements of everything that
could be damaged.
Dunlop & McCance's mills, in Man
chaster, had to suspend operations Fri
day morning, the water being too high
for the propelling wheels and the ma
chinery in the lower part of the mill to
work well. Unless there lisa continued
and heavy fall of rain to-day there is no
cause for alarm, not before tomorrow
at any rate.